All We Need Is Love
by the.eye.does.not.SEE
Summary: A continuation of the scene from the Valentine's Day episode. What happened after Lexie showed up at Mark's apartment and was invited in for dinner? I get the feeling that neither would have been able to help themselves. Mark/Lexie, Rated K.


Title: All We Need Is Love

Rating: K

Summary: A continuation of the scene from the Valentine's Day episode of Grey's. What happened after Lexie showed up at Mark's apartment and was invited in for dinner? I get the feeling that neither would have been able to help themselves. Mark/Lexie, Rated K.

Author's Note: Like all of you did, I'm sure, I _immensely _enjoyed last week's episode. All the Mark and Lexie scenes just about killed me (their happiness and adorableness was just asdfghjkl… I have no words). And even though Jackson was there in the last scene, I was glad that Lexie came into Mark's apartment anyway. This is how I was hoping things might go if we saw more of that scene…

. . .

_10.30 PM_

_. . ._

"Why was she in Mark's apartment in the first place, though?" Meredith asks her husband as they step off the elevator and head down the darkened hallway to room 501.

"Mark had to babysit Sofia," Derek replies, fishing the spare key to his best friend apartment off his key ring. "Maybe Lexie was trying to leave Zola with him, too."

"And then do what?" Meredith questions as he fits the key into the lock. "She made it clear this morning that she had no plans whatsoever."

"Well, sometimes having no plans can be better than babysitting," Derek replies. "But what I'm more curious about," he adds, "is why _Avery_ knew where she was." He frowns. "Why didn't she just call and leave us a message?"

"Maybe because she didn't take her phone," Meredith replies, stepping inside as Derek opens the door. "That's another thing she needs to do next time she babysits," Meredith tells him. "She always needs to have a phone. _Always. _What if something—"

She breaks off immediately, coming to a complete stop just a few feet from the door. Derek almost runs into her. "Mer," he says, annoyed. "What are you—Oh," he finishes, lowering his voice immediately. His eyes grow wide as he comes to a rapid halt next to his wife.

She turns to her husband, an amused grin spreading over her face. "What the hell happened here?" She almost laughs.

Derek shakes his head, staring at the couple asleep on the couch. "I have no idea," he replies slowly, studying them. From the looks of it, Mark and Lexie have been asleep for quite some time… _And comfortably, too, _Derek thinks to himself, noticing with an involuntary smile that the two seemed to have fallen asleep in each other's embrace.

While Derek's eyes sweep over the pair on the couch, Meredith begins searching around for Zola, intensely relieved to find that her daughter is safe and sound—and hopefully left innocent—in the playpen with Sofia. Both girls are asleep as well, and Zola barely stirs as Meredith bends down and picks her up. When she straightens up, Meredith turns around to find her husband standing before the couple on the couch, staring at a scrap of paper on the coffee table.

"Derek," Meredith hisses, "what are you doing?"

He holds out a hand in a gesture of silence. His eyes return to the figures on the couch and he stands staring at them for a minute more before taking a few steps back to his wife, who is also staring at the couple. He crosses his arms, eyeing them. "What do you think went on between them?" He whispers in his wife's ear.

Meredith shrugs her shoulder. "I have no idea," she replies, repeating his words from before. She glances down at her sleeping daughter. "I just hope Zola hasn't been traumatized."

Derek's eyes widen, flicking between his daughter and the slumbering figures on the couch. "I didn't even think of that," he replies in quietly growing anger. "What if they—"

"I don't think they did anything," Meredith interrupts soothingly. "I mean, Sofia and Zola were right here the whole night."

"Yes, and there was a bedroom down the hall," Derek replies in a dark undertone. He stares at his wife. "And you know these two. Who's to say they weren't able to hold back?"

Meredith struggles to suppress the urge to wake them both up immediately and demand an answer. "Let's just… hope they were mature for once," Meredith replies reluctantly. She watches as her husband exhales quietly and heads to the kitchen. He rummages through the drawers for a few minutes before finding a blank piece of paper and a pen. "What are you doing?" Meredith asks, coming up behind him and looking over his shoulder.

"I'm leaving them a note," Derek replies, "telling them that we took our daughter home and that we hope that she hasn't been exposed to any inappropriate behavior."

Meredith sighs, glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes float over Mark and Lexie before lingering on the slumbering toddler in the playpen. "I think we should take Sofia, too," she says softly.

Derek looks over at her. "Why?"

"Well, they're asleep, Derek. And Callie and Arizona are out in the woods. If something were to happen…"

He nods immediately. "Okay. I'm almost done." He holds out an arm. "Give me Zo and you can grab Sofia."

"Make sure you tell them that we took her, too," Meredith instructs him, passing along their daughter. "Or else they'll think someone kidnapped her."

"It would serve them right," Derek mutters, cradling his daughter close as he finishes writing. "Falling asleep on the job…"

. . .

_Three hours earlier…_

_. . ._

"Okay," Jackson begins. "What I really need help with is—"

A knock interrupts his sentence.

"Hold that thought," Mark tells him, walking quickly to the door. He pulls it open in an obligatory manner, slightly annoyed at the visit, before his eyes widen in quiet shock.

"Hey," Lexie greets with a smile. She's clutching Zola to her hip like a lifeline. "I thought, uh, maybe the girls could have a play date," she offers with a smile, "and we could, um, uh, talk," she adds, gesturing to him. Mark tilts his head slightly, clearly confused and waiting for her to get to the point. "You know, about…stuff," she adds, failing to clear anything up. "Cause there's some stuff that I've been wanting to say." A clatter in the back of his apartment makes her eyes go wide, causing the previously happy expression to fall off her face immediately. "Oh," she says, quickly realizing how inappropriate her showing up at his doorstep had been. "Is that Julia?" She asks, staring at him. "I'll—I'll go—"

"Avery's cooking me dinner," Mark cuts in quickly, not wanting her to get the wrong idea.

"Is that Julia?" A voice she quickly recognizes as Jackson's calls from inside the apartment. "Cause I can go…"

"Oh," she replies after a moment, processing it all. Relief washes over her face, quickly replaced by confusion. "That's…"

"But he can go," Mark adds almost immediately. He looks at her expectantly. "If you want to talk…" He trails off as Avery walks up behind him, but doesn't stop speaking. "Should he go?" Mark asks.

"Hey…" Jackson greets her awkwardly.

Lexie swallows, unsure of what to say. "Nope," she replies resolutely, ignoring the way Mark's face pinches in worry. "It's nothing. I—I—I'm—You know what? You two have a very…pleasant evening," she says, stepping back.

"Don't be stupid," Mark replies, reaching out to grab her arm. "You love steak." He looks away, failing to notice how her face falls. "Sofia," he calls over his shoulder as he pulls Lexie and Zola into the apartment, "your friend's here!"

Lexie takes a few awkward steps into the apartment, intensely aware of the two pairs of eyes on her back. She smiles nervously, hugging Zola close and hoping that this night will quickly draw to a close.

. . .

"Steaks are done," Avery announces a half-hour later.

"Finally," Mark replies, getting to his feet. He heads to the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder as he does so. He pauses when he sees that Lexie's still sitting on the floor, playing with the girls. "You coming, Lex?"

Lexie looks up quickly, still on-edge. "No, no," she replies immediately. "It's your dinner. I just showed up so…so the kids can have some time together." She smiles. "You and Jackson can eat."

Mark rolls his eyes, walking back towards her. "Come on," he says, bending down to grab her arm and haul her unceremoniously to her feet. "Quit trying to ignore the lure of the steak."

"No, really," she protests, rolling her shoulder to try and shrug off his arm. "I'm okay over here."

He stares at her seriously. "Have you eaten?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Case closed," Mark cuts in, pulling her along. "Come eat."

When she makes it to the table, Jackson's already split the meat into three even portions, setting it beside the salad and the wine on the table. They each fill their plates, sitting down to a silent meal. After ten minutes, Lexie feels the need to break the silence.

"So, um, Jackson," she begins, looking over at him on her left. "Why are you here cooking dinner?"

"He's trying to get some private tutoring in," Mark answers for him.

"Oh," Lexie replies, glancing cautiously to her right before returning her eyes to her plate. "Right. For the boards?" She clarifies, looking back to her left.

Jackson nods.

"Sorry," Lexie says apologetically. "I guess I kind of horned in on your study session."

Jackson shrugs. "No problem. I've still got a couple months. I just figured that since Mark was stuck babysitting, I'd, you know, take advantage of the situation."

Lexie nods. "And cook him dinner."

"Well, that was my bargaining chip," Jackson replies with a slight smile. He glances across the table to Mark. "How'd it turn out?"

"Good," Mark replies. "Steak's good, wine's good. It's…" He trails off, and Jackson watches at the other man's eyes shift subtly to the woman sitting to his left.

"Good," Jackson finishes for him. Mark's eyes snap back to Jackson's as if from a trance.

"Yeah," he replies after a moment. "It's good."

They finish the rest of the meal in silence, and with every second that drags on, each person at the table becomes more and more uncomfortable. Lexie spends the time staring at her plate and taking nervous bites of food while hoping that Zola will start crying so she can run across the room. Mark continues to stare at her, letting his eyes drift all over her in curiosity… _Well, something a bit _**more **_than curiosity, _Jackson thinks to himself, sitting back and watching it all unfold before him. _Or fail to unfold_, he adds to himself, noticing how though Lexie glances over to Mark every couple seconds, she never makes a move to speak or do anything besides pretend not to stare at him. After about ten consecutive minutes of this, Jackson finally gets to his feet. The scraping of the chair's legs causes both Mark and Lexie to jump, as if they had forgotten that there was a third person in the room.

"Well," Jackson announces. "It is getting late and—Oh, no," he interrupts himself, fishing in his pocket. He stares at his pager. "Look at that."

"What is it?" Mark replies, immediately searching for his pager as well. "Is there—"

"Oh, no, it's nothing," Jackson replies. "It's just—April," he tells them, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair and shrugging it on. "She needs me for something."

Lexie stares at him, her eyebrows pinched together in confusion. "What does she need you for?"

"Oh, you know," he replies offhandedly, walking to the door. "She's delegating. Chief Resident things. She needs my help."

"Well," Lexie begins, turning around in her seat to watch as he grabs his keys and opens the door, "why did she page you and not—"

"She knew you were babysitting for Meredith and Derek," Jackson calls back, knowing what she was going to say. "And she didn't want to disrupt the whole balance. But I," he continues, buttoning his coat, "am free." He hooks his thumb over his shoulder, pointing it out the door. "This was great," he says, directing his words at Mark. "Thanks for giving up some of your time."

Mark stares at him, just as confused as Lexie. "You know, we never really got to your boards—"

Jackson waves a hand, already putting one foot out the door. "No big deal. I'll pass. Thanks, guys. See you." He waves quickly to the two little girls spread out among their toys on the floor. "Bye, Zola. Bye, Sofia."

A second later, he's shut the door and headed off down the hall without another word. Mark and Lexie turn back to each other, both still sporting confused expressions.

"Well," Mark begins after a moment of silence. He gets to his feet. "That was weird." He picks up his plate. "I guess I can start washing everything."

Lexie scrambles to her feet as well. "I'll—I'll help," she replies, clutching her own plate with both hands. She grabs the one Jackson left on the table nervously, just so she has something to do. They stand facing each other with the table between them. "So, um, do you want to hand-wash all this or—or can we just use the dishwasher?"

"Dishwasher's broken," Mark replies, heading towards the sink. "We'll have to do it by hand."  
>Lexie nods, following after him. "Okay."<p>

Mark turns on the water, letting it run as he piles the dishes in the sink. He glances to his right, watching as Lexie stands a few feet away, nervously tapping her foot. "You, uh, you know don't have to help with this," he tells her.

"What?" Lexie asks, her head jerking up to look at him. "Oh, no," she replies after a moment, stepping forward to take her place at his right. "No, it's no problem. I—I can dry while you wash."

Mark shakes his head, frowning. "No, you go be with Zola. It's my place. I'll do the dishes."

"Yes, I know," Lexie replies, oddly patient. She passes the dirty dishes in her hands to him. "Which is why I said I'd dry," she adds after a moment.

Mark accepts them, a small smile on his face as he stares at her.

"What?" Lexie asks self-consciously.

"Nothing," Mark replies, putting them in the sink and adding soap to the water. "It's just that you're still incredibly stubborn."

He watches her first genuine smile of the night spread across her face, and he feels his own widen unconsciously at the sight. "Did you really expect me to change that much?" She asks. "It's one of my defining features."

Mark chuckles, picking up a sponge and setting to work on the dishes. Lexie bends over a moment later, reaching into one of the nearby drawers for a rag to dry the dishes with. Her lips flicker slightly when she realizes that the dishrags are in the same place they were last time she lived here.

Mark and Lexie work together in silence for a long while, and for a time, the only sounds that can be heard throughout the apartment are the rush of water from the faucet, the clink of dishes, and the faint giggles from Sofia and Zola on the far side of the room. As Lexie is placing the last plate on the pile of dried dishes, Mark pulls the stopper out of the drain, letting the soapy water wash down the sink.

Lexie forces a smile when he looks over at her. "Mission accomplished," she replies with nervous cheer.

"Right," he replies, looking over to her with a faint smile. As he stares at her, Mark watches at the nervous excitement fades from her face. A second later, she's making a quick excuse to check on Zola and heading to the far side of the apartment. Mark watches her go with a quiet sigh, wondering how much longer he has with her before she makes an even bigger excuse and decides to leave as unexpectedly as she came. But a second later, he's follows after her, determined not to let her walk away from him anymore, even if it means making this night even more awkward.

. . .

Ten minutes later, Mark and Lexie have lapsed into another slightly uncomfortable silence. They're sitting on separate sides of the couch as they both pretend to be watching the girls while really watching each other. Finally, Mark breaks the silence. Lexie turns to look at him when he speaks, watching as he shifts towards her on the couch. He takes note of the fact that she didn't try to move away when he moved closer.

"Why'd you come here, Lex?" He asks quietly, laying his arm across the back of the couch as he stares at her.

"I…" Lexie swallows, forcing herself to hold his piercing gaze. "I wanted to talk to you."

Mark nods, never letting his gaze waver. "What about?"

"Just…" She pauses, biting her lower lip. "Just about…"

"Stuff?" He supplies when she trails off. He watches as she smiles slightly. The gesture brings life to her face.

"Yeah," she replies. "Stuff."

"So," he begins, trying another tactic, "how much wine do I have to serve you before your tongue will start to loosen?"

Lexie laughs quietly, looking down. "It's not that big of a deal," she mutters after a few seconds.

"You brought Zola here as an excuse to talk to me," Mark tells her. He watches as her head shoots up, her eyes flying to his. He doesn't comment on the fear and worry in them. "It sounds to me like there's something important you wanted to tell me." Lexie feels her heart pick up double time when he moves even closer across the couch. "What is it that you—"

"Mark, I love you."

He freezes immediately, feeling his breath get lost somewhere between his lungs and his mouth. Words fail him as quickly as they succeeded her, and he can only listen dumbly as she continues.

"I love you," she repeats nervously, wishing she could take back what she just blurted out. But they both know it's too late. "And—I…" She closes her eyes. "I've wanted to say it for a long time," she whispers. "I—I've wanted to tell you for a long time… But I just never…" She swallows, forcing herself to open her eyes and look at him. She shakes her head sadly. "There was never a good time."

In the silence that follows, he manages to take a shaky breath. "And now…" He swallows roughly, trying to clear his head of all the ideas warring within. "Now is a good time?" He questions.

"N—No," Lexie replies. She takes a sharp breath, and he suddenly realizes how scared she looks, sitting just feet from him. "I realize now isn't a good time," she whispers. "You—you have a girlfriend, and I—I'm trying to respect that, but…" She closes her eyes. "God, Mark, I had to come. I just couldn't wait anymore. I—I _can't _wait," she corrects, opening her eyes to stare at him. She surprises them both by taking on a serious tone. Her voice barely shakes when she speaks next, and he wonders if she's been practicing her speech or if it simply came out of thin air. "I can't wait anymore," she whispers. "Have…" She swallows. "Have you noticed that? It seems like fifty percent of our relationship is one of us waiting for the other." She cracks a small smile. "The other forty percent is being apart, and the last ten is…actually being together." She takes a slow breath. "I really don't want it to be like that anymore. I'm sick of us being apart and I'm sick of waiting. I _can't _wait, I _can't_, Mark. Not anymore. And Julia…" She pauses, and Mark somehow finds the time to take a shallow breath. "She's a wonderful person. Really," Lexie adds earnestly. "She's great. And I know you really care about her, that is…" She half-smiles, remembering their conversation over chocolates earlier in the day. "That is very clear… But I've been wondering…" She takes a quick breath. "I've been wondering for weeks, Mark, if… If…" She closes her eyes, and after a few seconds of silence, Mark realizes he's going to have to prompt her.

"If what?" He asks quietly, surprised that he can even speak. "What were you wondering? If—"

"If you love her," Lexie interrupts, more accusatory than she'd intended. Her eyes go wide for a moment before she seems to take control of herself. She stares him right in the eyes. "D—Do you, Mark?" She asks quietly. "Do you love her?"

Mark closes his eyes, taking a long, deep breath.

"It's a simple question," Lexie whispers after a moment. "Do you love her? Yes or no? Do you love her like—?"

"—like I love you?" Mark cuts in quietly, opening his eyes. He looks up to stare at Lexie's frozen face. Her heart feels like it's going to beat out of her chest, and she can barely wrap her mind around the fact that he used the present tense and not the past to describe what he felt for her. What he _still _felt for her. Lexie tries not to get her hopes up, but—

"Yes," she finds herself whispering through barely-moving lips. "Do you love her like you love me?"

He shakes his head, just a few centimeters back and forth. "No," he replies. His voice is almost inaudible. "No, I don't love her like I love you. I could—" He swallows roughly, and in a split second he's leaned forward and taken her face in his hands. "I could never love anyone the way I love you."

Lexie presses her face into his warm touch, feeling like she might cry. She sucks in a raspy breath. "Mark," she whispers, not knowing what to say.

"It's okay," he replies, moving closer and rubbing his thumbs against her cheekbones. "It's okay."

"What's…" Lexie clears her throat. "What's okay?"

"Everything," he whispers with a smile. "Everything is okay. You love me and I love you and—"

"But Julia," Lexie interrupts, hating herself for doing so but knowing they have to clear things up before moving forward. "She—"

"We're breaking up."

"What?" Lexie asks, bewildered at the conviction in his tone.

Mark smiles softly at her expression, running his fingers against her skin. "You know," he murmurs, "I realized something just now."

"And what was that?" She asks nervously.

"If a woman stands you up on Valentine's Day, she is really not worth dating."

A smile flickers onto Lexie's lips. "Is that so?"

"But a woman who shows up at your apartment despite the fact that both of you have previous engagements…" He trails off with a grin. "Well, I like a woman like that."

Lexie eyes fall closed, and she feels tears leak from them as she takes a shaky breath. "Mark," she whispers hoarsely, "I…"

"Shh." His voice is so soft, she lets her eyes drift open to look into his eyes. His blue pupils stare at her, full of gentility and concern. He leans forward, letting their noses bump against each other for a second. "I love you, Lexie Grey."

Lexie almost laughs in relief at his words, but she forces herself to take a long, calming breath instead. When she composes herself, she smiles at him with a happy twinkle in her eyes. "Can I please kiss you now?" She whispers.

He smiles in reply, leaning forward without thinking before hearing a happy giggle pierce the air from a few feet away. Mark and Lexie's eyes both immediately fall to the floor, where they spot Sofia and Zola, who are both staring at them with grins on their little faces. Mark and Lexie both get the feeling that they've had a rapt audience for some time now. "Um…" Mark whispers quietly, slowly turning back to Lexie. "I don't think…"

"Just once," Lexie interrupts hopefully. She grins a second later. "Come on, Meredith and Derek are getting thwarted trying to have sex and every turn because she keeps popping up… She's seen two people kiss before."

"Yeah, but she's never seen _us_ kiss." Mark smirks. "It could get really inappropriate really fast."

Lexie smiles, reaching up to gently remove his hands from her face. She places them on the couch between them. "Then keep your hands to yourself," Lexie instructs.

"That's no fun," Mark frowns.

"Just pretend they're handcuffed somewhere," Lexie suggests. "All I'm asking for is one kiss, here, okay? I think you can deal with not touching me for the length of one kiss."

He raises his eyebrows. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Grey. …And handcuffs?" He asks with a smirk. "If you think it's too inappropriate for me to hold you while we kiss, why are you bringing up handcuffs?"

"Oh, shut up," Lexie mutters, smacking his chest lightly. "I did not mean it like that."

He grins. "_Sure _you didn't."

"I am serious, Mark."

He grins suggestively. "Oh, I can tell…"

"God," Lexie moans. "Will you leave it alon—"

Her words are cut off as Mark leans forward, covering her mouth with his and catching her off guard. In a second, her annoyed moan turns into a quiet groan of pleasure, and his hands move to wrap instinctively around her back and pull her close. Their mouths fuse together passionately, joining and breaking at a constant high-speed rate, until Lexie has to pull back for air. The second she does, a clapping noise draws her attention away from the smile spreading over Mark's face. She looks to her left, seeing that Zola is haphazardly smacking her hands together, punctuating the clapping noise with occasional giggles as she stares at them. Lexie reaches out a second later, tapping her palm against her niece's little hand. "I knew you had my back, Zo."

She grins, watching as the little girl goes back to her toys after a few seconds. Sofia is still staring at them with wide eyes, as if trying to process what has been happening before her very eyes. When Lexie turns back to Mark, he's smirking widely at her. Lexie's about to speak when she feels his hands run up and down her back casually, pulling her closer.

"I thought I said no touching," she reminds him, reaching back to remove his hands.

"You said a lot of things," Mark replies with a smirk, reluctantly moving away and putting space between them. "And I got bored of hearing you talk."

Lexie shakes her head, eyeing him. "I should dump you right now on account of how rude you are being," she jokes. "And in front of the children, no less."

Mark smiles to himself, reaching out to take her hand. He squeezes it momentarily before picking it up and pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "Love you," he whispers softly, catching her eye.

Lexie smiles kindly at him, shifting her body back towards his. She wraps an arm around his back, holding him close. "I love you, too," she replies, resting her head against his shoulder in tired relief.

. . .

Forty-five minutes later, both the girls have fallen asleep, and Mark and Lexie are about to do the same. After having put Zola and Sofia in the playpen to sleep for the night, they stretched out on the couch, no longer worried about their physical contact in front of the children. Mark is lying flat on his back, with his head propped up against a pillow by the armrest. Lexie is laid out on her side with her back pressed up against the back of the couch. Her left arm is draped over Mark's stomach, and her head is resting on his chest, tucked just beneath his chin.

"Remember to thank Jackson when you see him next," Lexie murmurs sleepily.

Mark looks down at her, his eyes blinking tiredly. He wraps an arm around her back, pulling her closer so she doesn't have to speak up and risk waking the girls. "Why?"

"Because he completely faked that page to give us the night alone."

Mark's eyes snap open, and he suddenly feels very awake. "What?"

He feels Lexie chuckle against his body. "Don't tell me you didn't notice."

"Well, I knew he was acting weird," Mark replies, "but I just suspected Kepner booty-called him or something and he didn't want to admit it."

Lexie laughs aloud, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth so the noise doesn't wake Sofia and Zola.

"What?" Mark asks with a grin. "You saw the way he ran out that door. Tell me it wasn't because of a woman promising him sex."

"He was not being booty-called," Lexie replies, unable to hold back her laughter. "And especially not by April-the-virgin. He was just faking a page." She looks up at him, her voice growing quiet and serious. "For us."

Mark smiles, reaching up to brush her bangs away from her eyes momentarily with a free hand. "I knew I liked that guy."

Lexie smiles briefly before biting her lip. "About Julia…," she begins hesitantly.

"What about her?" Mark questions.

"Well… What are we going to do?"

"_We_ aren't going to do anything," Mark replies. "_I _will break up with her." He meets her dark eyes. "I'll do it first thing tomorrow."

"You will?" Lexie asks quietly.

Mark nods. "Of course." He sighs softly at the relieved look on her face. "Do you really think I would wait any longer?"

Lexie shrugs noncommittally.

"Lexie, if she wasn't in surgery right now, I would go and end it this second."

"You…would?"

He smiles. "Lex," he murmurs. "I have been waiting for you, too. And like you, I am _sick _of waiting. I'm sick of it and I don't want to have anymore obstacles between us."

"Me neither," Lexie replies quietly.

"So," Mark reiterates, "first thing tomorrow, I will go find her and I will end it." He stares at her, and Lexie can see the honesty in his clear blue gaze as he speaks. "And then," he adds softly, "I will come home to you."

"I love you," she whispers, pressing a brief kiss to his lips before resting her head back against his chest. She feels him bend down a second later and kiss the top of her head.

She can just hear him murmur, "And we will have a proper reunion when I get back," before she slips away into unconsciousness.

. . .

Mark and Lexie wake up slowly the next morning. At first confused, but quickly overjoyed to find themselves still locked in each other's embrace, the events from the previous night come flooding back into their minds in mismatched pieces. As they attempt to put everything back together, a few details are still missing… but the two notes left in Mark's apartment make the details a bit easier to understand.

.

_Mark—_

_I see you enjoyed your Valentine's without me._ _That was a great surprise to come home to after work, thanks for that. Consider us broken up. I hope to never see you again._

—_Julia_

_(I was your girlfriend, by the way, if you still can't remember.)_

.

_Lexie and Mark:_

_ First off, you two suck at babysitting. Meredith and I have taken Zola and Sofia into our custody for their own safety and to preserve the girls' impressionable minds and sense of morals._

_Secondly, if I, at any time in the future, find out that you two have traumatized my daughter with your obvious lack of judgment and almost-consistent level of horniness, I will kill the both of you. I will not hesitate, I swear. Meredith will bury the bodies._

_ Thirdly, (and I am directing this specifically at you, Lexie) when we told you to take Zola for a drive we did NOT mean take her to Mark's apartment. Or anyone's apartment. You are fired from future babysitting duties._

_Lastly: Mark, I noticed that Julia happened to stop by here as well. (There's a note on your coffee table in case you missed it.) Looks like she got dumped the hard way. Next time, why don't you think a little harder about your current romantic status before falling asleep with a woman who is not your girlfriend in your arms?_

—_Derek_

_PS: And on Valentine's Day, Mark, really? I don't know whether to yell at you for being so insensitive or congratulate you for being so romantic._

_Either way, whatever. Best wishes. I'll see you two at work._

_._

When they finish reading both the notes, Mark and Lexie turn to each other with matching smiles spreading over their faces. Lexie leans over, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Can we have a proper reunion now?" She whispers in his ear.

. . .

_Author's Note: __**Please leave me some love and review!**_


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